Eric Becker is an associate principal at OZ Architecture and a former volunteer firefighter with the Timberline Fire Protection District in Boulder County, Colorado. OZ Architecture has partnered with fire districts and public safety agencies across Colorado and the Mountain West for more than 30 years. Many fire stations in service today were built for a job that no longer exists. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), more than two out of every five fire stations were more than 40 years old in 2020. But age alone isn’t the issue; well-designed civic buildings should serve their communities for 50 years or more. The challenge is that many stations were planned around an outdated model of firefighter service. Roughly two-thirds of fire department calls are now medical in nature. Today’s facilities must accommodate a faster tempo, medical response and expanded responsibilities that include prevention, training and community engagement. At the same time, growing awareness of firefighter health risks, from cancer exposure to behavioral health challenges, is reshaping how stations are designed, organized and operated. For local officials responsible for planning and funding public safety infrastructure, a fire station’s design is not simply a construction decision. It is an operational decision that will shape emergency response, firefighter health and training capacity for the next half century. Design for the way firefighters work today Some fire districts are rethinking how their stations support prevention, mitigation, preparedness and community health. South Metro Fire Rescue, with 30 stations throughout the south Denver metro area, is updating its stations with a more consistent focus on first responder health and well-being, response efficiency and long-term durability. The district’s recently completed Station No. 15 in Centennial, Colorado, represents what's possible when civic leadership treats a fire station as a long-term commitment to the people who staff